Stamford ear eater pleads not guilty

John Nickerson

Published 11:14 pm, Wednesday, February 13, 2013

STAMFORD -- The West Side man charged with biting a large part of his roommate's ear off and swallowing it during a drunken brawl early Monday morning pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Emilio Mendoza, 27, of 32 Stephen St., has been charged with first-degree assault, interfering with police, forgery and disorderly conduct.

His roommate and the victim in the case, 31-year-old Clemente Perez-Ruiz also pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

Although he tried to keep his injury from view by turning up the collar of his hoodie, a good part of Perez-Ruiz's ear could be seen missing along a mouth-bite shape cut from the top third of the ear through the middle of the lower ear lobe. The edge of the ear appeared to be sewn shut.

Defense attorney David Bothwell was assigned to the case as a special public defender and Mendoza was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bond by Judge Kenneth Povodator.

Bothwell, who is representing Mendoza in a 2010 robbery and assault case as well, said he had not seen the police reports on the specifics of the case and declined comment on the current charges.

According to police, Mendoza came home early in the morning Monday and began playing loud music. Police were called at 12:56 a.m. when a report came to police of a fight on the second floor of 32 Stephen St., where the two lived.

Perez-Ruiz told police that when he told Mendoza to turn the music down Mendoza began punching him in the head, police said.

As the fight continued, Mendoza bit Perez-Ruiz' left ear, tearing a good part of it off. Mendoza, who was intoxicated at the time, told police he swallowed it.

Mendoza also told police that Perez-Ruiz punched him first.

When he was booked at police headquarters, Mendoza tried to present police with fake identification.

Povodator placed a protective order on both Mendoza and Perez-Ruiz allowing neither to contact the other under penalty of a felony charge and a possible five-year prison sentence.